


Girl Meets Sadie Hawkins

by lizimajig



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Dating, F/M, Feminist Themes, Gen, Sadie Hawkins Dance, Teenagers, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 11:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2810243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizimajig/pseuds/lizimajig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riley learns a lesson about being a woman, choices, and how sparkly dresses do not make you a bad feminist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl Meets Sadie Hawkins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dani/gifts).



> I tried to keep it in tone with the show, so if it sounds a little didactic know that I tried to keep it balanced so that it didn't come off as issue ficcy. I think it straddles the line nicely, but I will of course let you all make the real judgment. Happy Yuletide, please enjoy! I'm glad you (my recipient, but obviously whoever else clicked on this story) enjoy Girl Meets World too. I hope it lasts at least as long as its parent show. (More good news: I am still super into Shawn Hunter.)
> 
> I tried to keep the focus on the four as friends, though of course there's a pretty heavy Riley/Lucas bend. There's some Farkle/Maya if you squint, but it's pretty silly.

Riley was gazing at Lucas again. Maya had a tolerance for this sort of thing, and it was usually kind of fun to say increasingly absurd things to her and see how much her best friend could possibly ignore, but she had been like this ever since the Sadie Hawkins dance had been officially announced. Two weeks ago.

"I'm going to ask him," Riley said without taking her eyes off where he sat with Farkle.

"Mhm," Maya responded.

"Today," she added, and paused. "Or. Maybe tomorrow would be better. Yeah! Tomorrow, definitely."

"You know you've been saying that for two weeks, right?" You could never tell with Riley.

"I mean it this time." Riley Matthews stood up straight and planted a foot firmly on the ground. "By the end of the day tomorrow, I will have asked Lucas to the Sadie Hawkins dance."

"Good." 

"... Or maybe Wednesday." 

" _Riley._ "

"Wednesday's better!" she reasoned as the last warning bell rang and they had to make their way to class. "Lets him live in suspense a little longer. Make him work for it." She stopped again, a thought attacking her. "Or does that make me look like I didn't think of him until now? Maya, Lucas is not my last choice! He's not even a first choice, he's _the only choice._ " Riley had stopped Maya and clamped on to her shoulders in an iron grip she would have been surprised at if she didn't know Riley inside-out.

"First of all, let me go, you're freaking me out," she said, shaking off Riley's grip, "second, look at that boy, he does not have to work for it. Third, just ask him! Do you really think he's going to say no?"

"The thought has crossed my mind. Several times. In the last sixty seconds," Riley continued as they walked into their first class, math. She wilted slightly. "I just wish it had happened already so I'd know what he'd say!"

"You know there's only one way to find out," Maya told her pointedly.

"I know," she replied.

Silence. Maya sighed only a little. "Do you want me to ask him for you?"

For a moment, Riley looked like she was considering it, but then sat up tall in her seat. "No. A woman has to take care of these things herself, Maya. But thank you."

"Too bad, I had a great tune ready," she said, and continued in an exaggerated twang, " _Oh Lucas, my friend Rile-e-e-ey, you know her, the one who is smile-e-ey, wants to kno-o-ow if you want to do-si-do-o-o..."_

"Thank you, Miss Hart, that will do," their math teacher warned, but the older woman gave her a smile all the same. "Open up your books to page one ninety, kids. Time for some real fun..." 

\--- 

It wasn't that Riley didn't like history, or that she was a problem for teachers -- in this case, her father -- but it was the class that she arguably had the best view of Lucas in. She would simply turn to Maya and start talking, and then let her eyes wander... yes, the view in history class was very nice. 

"All right, people." Her dad started class in his typical fashion, and wrote in big letters on the chalkboard: FEMINISM. "You see this word: what do you think?" 

"Beyonce!" someone from the back of the class called, and some of the class laughed. 

"I'm going to pretend I know who that is and agree with you," he answered. "Anything else?" 

"Girl power," Maya put in. 

Which prompted, "Spice Girls!" from Riley. 

"Pop music has ruined my own child. I've failed," he said. "You're not wrong! These are all important facets of modern feminism... but there's more there." He indicated for Lucas to go on when he raised his hand. 

"The equal treatment of women in all areas of society," he answered. 

"Yes! This! I like it when someone did the reading," Cory cheered. 

"Mr. Matthews," Farkle said, raising his hand and not bothering to wait to be called on, "I also did the reading and I have to wonder if feminism is still desirable and even necessary." 

"And how's that, Farkle?" he returned, waiting for his answer. 

"Yes. _Do tell,_ " Maya said in a withering tone, turning to look at Farkle behind her. 

He froze, like a deer caught in traffic, but it was too late to back out now. "Well. We've had female heads of state -- " 

"Not here," Maya interrupted. 

" -- but Hillary Clinton is on track to make a serious bid in 2016, and she was most recently secretary of state. She has an excellent track record that speaks for itself." 

"That's true," Cory said before Maya could answer again. "But consider this: if you were to look at media coverage of Hillary versus, say, her husband, how much of the coverage do you think would be concerned with his emotional response to everything? Or, I'll do you one better: when was the last time you heard someone talk about what he's wearing?" 

Silence. 

"... Never, but I do watch a lot of Sponge Bob Squarepants with Auggie," Riley admitted. 

"His point is that yes, _obviously_ we still need feminism, because a woman like Hilary Clinton can't even be talked about without talking about what she's wearing," Maya said. 

"Oh come on, we don't _all_ do that," Billy said. 

"Did you really just 'not all men' me?" Maya demanded, turning in her seat. 

"O-kay, okay," Cory said. "Today is Monday. By Friday, you're all going to prepare a short speech about why feminism is important to you." 

"What if it's not?" Billy asked again. 

"Then I'll take you to school," Maya muttered, slumping down in her desk. 

"Give it some thought," he advised. "If you can't find a way it is, talk to me later and we'll figure something out." The bell rang, and the students began to pack up their things as Cory called over the shuffle, "Remember, guys, Friday!" 

\--- 

What normally would have been a time of joking and laughter, things were strained at the lunch table today. Class had put Maya in a mood, and as a result Riley was unusually subdued as well. When the boys had sat down with them, things became even more strained as their attempts to start a conversation were met with stony silence from Maya and babble from Riley. 

It was majorly inconvenient for Riley, because she thought lunch would have otherwise been a great time to ask Lucas to the dance. It could be casual, laid back, and if he said no she would have until the end of the day when they had gym class together again to hide. She settled for trying to beam the question into his head instead: _Will you go to the dance with me, will you go to the dance with me, will you go to the dance --_

"Did we do something wrong?" Lucas asked Maya point blank. 

"Is that 'we' as in 'Farkle and me' or 'boys' because that question can really go both ways for me right now," she said. 

"I did the homework. I made an observation. I shared that observation. Why did I do that? That was dumb," Farkle said. Riley thought he was mostly talking to himself, but that didn't stop Maya from replying. 

"At least we can agree on that." 

"Like he said, it was just an observation," Lucas said. "And frankly, you shut down anyone so dumb so what's the problem?" 

"The problem is that you don't see the problem!" 

"Maya -- " Riley started, no longer concerned with asking Lucas to the dance, more interested in stopping a fight before it began. 

"Riley, I know you're on my side here!" 

"Of course, it's only -- " 

"You know what, it's pretty obvious we're not really welcome here right now," Lucas said. 

_Nooooo_ , Riley silently cried, and begged him with her eyes to stay. But the appeal was fruitless, as Lucas and Farkle picked up their trays and moved to the other end of the table, about ten feet too far away for Riley. She couldn't help it, her stare followed Lucas, where he and Farkle now sat, their newfound conversation a mystery to her. 

"Riley!" Maya interrupted her train of thought, snapping her fingers in front of her nose. "Wake up, smell the latte. You listening?" 

"Lucas," she sighed. 

"Forget Lucas," Maya said. 

"They didn't do anything wrong, you know," Riley said, turning back to look at her best friend. 

"Guys don't get to decide if feminism is out of line," Maya replied, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "Whatever, they're being idiots. And you know what? Fine. My mom says women need men like a fish needs a bicycle." 

"... But why would a fish _oh._ " It took her about two seconds but she got there. "Right." 

"And this Sadie Hawkins business? Stupid. Why do we need an excuse to ask boys out? I don't need a dance to ask a guy on a date if I want to." 

"Me neither. But it helps," Riley admitted. 

"Wake up Riles!" Maya said, gesticulating. "You buy into it you're buying into the whole thing. When you agree to the rules of Sadie Hawkins you agree to the rule that normally, boys ask girls. You see what I'm saying?" 

"Yeah, I see it." 

"So what are we doing Friday night?" 

Riley had a feeling the answer was not going to be 'going to the dance'. "Going to the dance?" 

"No." Maya shook her head emphatically. "We're boycotting." 

\--- 

Even though Riley had agreed to stand in solidarity with Maya and it had felt good at the time -- she had a point, because what was the point of a dance where the big deal was the 'reversal' of boys asking girls if the normal rule wasn't that boys had to do the asking? -- she couldn't help but feel the loss of the date with Lucas she had built up in her mind, probably a bit too much, but it wouldn't be happening anyway. 

She sighed and looked in the mirror. "There will be other dances. And not a dumb Sadie Hawkins." 

It didn't sound all that convincing when she said it out loud, either. 

"Riley, last call for breakfast, come get it!" her mother called from down the hall. 

Normally she would have bounced her way down the hall to the kitchen and breakfast, but today felt much more like a trudging day. So Riley trudged down the hall to the kitchen, took her seat across from Auggie, and began to chew on a slice of bacon. 

"Are you sad?" Auggie asked her, examining her critically. 

"No," she said. It wasn't exactly sad, but there was some sadness. "Yes. Maybe." 

"Maybe? Do you not know?" he continued. 

"It's complicated, Auggie. You wouldn't understand." 

His fork dropped with a clatter and his hands when to his hips indignantly. "I'm _really_ smart, I'm sure I can keep up." 

Riley contemplated that for a moment. "I was going to ask Lucas to the dance. Now I'm not." 

"Why?" 

"Feminism." 

"I love feminism," their father declared cheerily from the end of the table. 

"Dad, this is serious," Riley said. 

"Did I hear the f-word at the breakfast table?" Topanga asked casually, bringing her coffee and sitting down with Auggie. 

"We need feminism, mom," Riley told her seriously. 

"Believe me, I don't disagree. What's up?" 

"Maya and I are boycotting the Sadie Hawkins dance because it reinforces the idea that girls can't ask boys out normally and that we need a special occasion where they tell us we can ask the boys on a date." 

Her mother took that in thoughtfully. "I see," she said. "I thought you were looking forward to the dance, though?" 

"Shh," Cory shushed her. "She's not trying to date that boy now, let me enjoy it!" 

Riley pushed some scrambled egg around with her fork. "I was," she said. "And now Maya and I are taking a stand." 

She thought she'd sounded pretty convincing, but her mother was giving her that look, where she wanted to say something but was holding it back for reasons Riley could only guess at. "Good for you," she said finally. "Standing with your friends is always a good thing," she added. "Now come on, you need your brain food, you have that math test." 

That conversation thankfully over for the moment, Riley shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth and chewed. 

\--- 

Thursday's study hall was somehow directed to be as awkward as possible for Riley. Normally she, Maya, Lucas, and Farkle shared a table in the library and would work (or not work) together, but today Maya was out at the dentist and Farkle was trying to plan computer club with some others (or at least that's what he'd said before scurrying off). 

So she was left alone with Lucas, her stomach in knots. She buried herself in the Language Arts reading so she could maybe hopefully avoid talking to him. Normally sitting in silence was nice and companionable; that was one thing she liked about being with Lucas. Even though Riley was a known chatterbox, sitting with Lucas in silence was one of the simpler pleasures of her life. Except for right now, when it was mildly torturous. 

It was going quite well, until about the last five minutes. Riley had begun to relax, thinking she would get away from today without having to speak to Lucas. Until he spoke up, "Hey." 

"Hey." She almost winced, her voice sounded so... not her. 

"Any plans for this weekend?" he asked casually, like he would ask her any other week. 

_Oh. Just sit at Maya's house while we have a sleepover and think about how I could be at the dance with you. I have that new dress and everything._ "Not really. Staying the night at Maya's. Homework. I think I'm supposed to clean my room." _And not babble._ "You?" 

"Oh. Same. Homework, I mean, not staying at Maya's," he replied lightly. "I don't think I'd be invited right now." 

Silence. "She's not... mad at you or anything." At least she was pretty sure. "Or Farkle, either." 

"She sure seems it. Any guy is automatically getting the hairy eyeball from her, and -- I swear, I do not mean this in the 'not all men' way -- I didn't do anything. It's a little off-putting, is all." 

Riley didn't disagree. But by now she was the expert in the difference between Maya being angry and Maya being hurt and acting angry so nobody would notice. This was definitely the latter, but she couldn't seem to coax it out of her. "I know. It's just... probably nothing. We'll be on something new next week and she'll forget all about it!" 

"But there won't be a dance next week," he said -- hinted, almost. 

Yeah. About that. "Sure won't," she agreed, hoping she hid her dismay at that well. 

"You know, I feel like an idiot?" he added. 

"Um. Is that a related statement?" 

"I was kind of hoping that you'd ask me. And we could go, and it would be fun. Even just the four of us as friends, to just... have fun together, you know?" 

Her stomach sank somewhere around her feet and her heart took its place in her gut. "That does sound fun," she admitted. 

"Yeah. I mean, you kind of seemed like you'd been wanting to since the dance was announced," he said, and didn't add anymore, just held Riley's gaze. 

_Ask him, ask him, ask him you idiot!_ she yelled at herself. Maya would understand and get over it. "I just... wanted to support Maya..." 

He took that in, and then nodded. What was that supposed to mean? She nearly asked, but the bell rang, signaling the end of study hall and that it was time to move on to the next class. "Can't fault you for that. See you later, Riley." He didn't even sound mad. She almost wished he was. 

"Bye," she replied dully as he took his books and strode away. 

\--- 

Riley responded to heartbreak the only way it made sense to: heading for bed the minute she got home, closing the door, and putting on her playlist of sad music before stretching out in bed, stuffed animals in each arm. She did want to stick with Maya, but she also really wanted to ask Lucas to the dance. She couldn't do both, not right now. 

Being a feminist was _hard._

She'd been perfectly fine laying across her blankets and listening to Demi Lovato, when there was a knock on the door. "Riley, sweetie," her mother said before poking her head in, "dinner's ready. Why don't you come out and join us?" 

"'m not hungry," she replied listlessly, not moving from her spot. 

"Are you feeling sick?" she asked, slipping in the door and closing it behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her on the head, like she always did when Riley wasn't feeling well. 

"No," she said truthfully, but still avoidant. "Just not hungry." 

Topanga didn't say anything for a moment, but then she nudged Riley over and squeezed onto the bed with her, stretching out beside her. "Okay, spill." 

She shook her head. "Nothing. It's nothing. I'm just not hungry." 

"Riley Matthews it is spaghetti night in this house and in your thirteen years you have never missed a spaghetti night not even that time you had the flu. Remember? I sure do. So spill, babe." 

It took her a second to collect all her thoughts, and then it all came out in a rush: "Well the Sadie Hawkins dance is tomorrow and I wanted to ask Lucas but I kept putting it off because I was chicken. And then daddy started teaching us about feminism and Maya said we didn't need a dance where we were supposed to ask the boys because it meant that we shouldn't ask boys all the other times. And, I mean, I guess she has a point, and I want to be a good friend and agree with Maya but I also _really, really_ want to go to the dance with Lucas. And we're supposed to talk about what feminism means to us in class tomorrow but all I can think about is 'feminism means I can't ask Lucas to the Sadie Hawkins dance' but I don't think that makes a very good speech." 

Her mother listened carefully, and when she spoke, she started with something positive like she always did. "I'm very proud of how loyal you are to Maya, sweetie," she said, stroking her hair gently. "It's one of the qualities that makes you beautiful and I don't want you to ever lose that." 

"I feel a 'but' coming up," Riley murmured into the head of her stuffed hippo. 

" _But,_ " Topanga added, smiling a little at Riley, "you can support her and not agree with her. What did the Sadie Hawkins dance mean to you?" 

"That I could get dressed up with Maya which would be fun, and then we could go to the dance and I'd dance with Lucas because, of course we're going together, but in a group so it's not weird but still fun," she said. 

"Did you think anything was weird about the girls asking boys part?" she asked. 

Riley opened her mouth, but the answer she was going to give changed as it traveled up her throat and got ready to leave her tongue. "I... no. I mean, it was a little scary to do the asking, not knowing if they'd say yes, but. I know girls can ask out boys any time." 

"And that's good!" Topanga told her. 

"Is it?" 

"Yes. It means things have changed." She was smiling now, and took one of Riley's hands in hers. "It's true the Sadie Hawkins dance comes from a time when girls did not ask out boys. Even when your dad and I were your age... well, it wasn't quite so unusual as it was back then, but it wasn't as widely accepted either." 

"Then why do they still use the whole Sadie Hawkins thing?" 

"Good excuse as any to have a dance, I guess," she supposed. "Not every place has them. It's just a tradition, and maybe one day it will disappear completely." 

"I wish that day had been right now," Riley sighed. 

"Do you want to go to the dance?" she asked. 

"I want to get _pretty,_ " Riley cooed. 

Topanga laughed. "Then, Cinder-Riley, you shall go to the ball." 

For a moment, Riley was grinning from ear to ear, she could feel her cheeks beginning to hurt from it, and then she paused. "Does that make me a bad feminist? I mean, if I want to get dressed up and wear make up and ask a boy out," she asked her mother. "And. You can tell me the truth." 

Her mother sighed, and looked her in the eye. "No, Riley. It doesn't. Do you think it makes me a bad feminist to do all those things?" 

"No!" Riley answered immediately. "I mean. You're like, the best feminist I know, I think." 

Topanga was smiling, not just the happy smile but the Very Proud of My Daughter smile. "I think the only thing that would make you a bad feminist is if you were taking choices away from yourself. The only person who can decide what's best for you, is you." 

"Just me?" she said, and Topanga immediately saw where this was going. 

"You, and until you're at least eighteen, your father and I get a majority vote," she amended. 

Riley wasn't too put out by that. She was, at least, now smiling and sat up. "Thanks, mom." 

"Anytime," she said, and hugged Riley close for a moment. "Now, how about dinner? If you have a speech to work on you're going to need to carbo-load." 

"Isn't that for running?" Riley asked as Topanga brushed her hair back behind her shoulder. 

"Believe me, it helps for homework, too," she said. "Let's go. Make sure your dad and brother haven't gotten into a noodle slurping contest or something." 

"We really can't leave them alone," Riley agreed, and they grinned as they left her room for the kitchen and whatever mischief the Matthews men had gotten up to in their absence. 

\--- 

History class was undeniably tense the next day. Even though Riley had her note cards all printed out neatly and her speech ready with some help from her mother, she was nervous about what she was about to do. But every time the little bit of doubt began creeping in, she resolved herself with, _This is my choice._

Lucas went first, and gave a nice speech that went off what he'd said on Monday, and until all people were equal they had failed as a group. He said it all without glancing at Riley, which made her a little sad, but even more determined to go. Farkle, in his typical Farkle style, gave a very analytical argument talking about the wage gap and hiring practices in certain fields, and how everyone would benefit from a more equal society. Most mind-blowing was Maya, who spoke about changing the mindset which was used to think of women would benefit everyone, and getting rid of the double standard was important. After the speech, Riley almost forgot to clap, she was so engrossed. 

Still unsure, she lingered in doubt for a couple more of her classmates' speeches before she raised her hand. Her father nodded at her, and she stood up in the front of the room. She took a deep breath, and began. 

"To me, feminism is about choice," she said, calmly and clearly. "Not just making one choice, but getting to make all of your choices, all the time." She paused to let that sink in, and glanced down at her note card. "There were times when women were not allowed to make any of their choices. Her parents decided everything; how educated she would be, and who she would marry -- because she wasn't going to be able to have a job. She wasn't able to vote, and her father and then her husband would be the ones who decided everything for her. 

"But eventually, there was a change. Women could vote -- not just as an influence on her husband, if she had any, but for herself. She could make a decision on her own that made a difference! Then she could go to college, but only to study certain things. To be a secretary, or a nurse, or something like that. But eventually women started to become doctors, and executives, and more than just what the men in her life wanted her to be. She could date different people, and marry who she wanted -- or not marry at all. All because of her choice. 

"This didn't happen overnight, of course, and going forward things won't change over night either. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop fighting to make our own choices." She took a deep breath, this was where things could go off the rails. "And I'm sorry Maya but my choice is that I want to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance and I want to go with Lucas. If he'll go with me." Maya's face didn't register much of anything, so her eyes darted to Lucas, who was grinning that grin that turned her knees into jelly. 

"Yeah," he said. "Of course." 

"Hey, how you doin'." Cory interrupted suddenly. 

Riley was too happy to do anything but smile back. "Sorry. I -- sorry. I just thought that the speech would be better if I used evidence to show how making our own choices makes us happier." 

"I know your mother came up with that idea, so don't try and take the credit," he said, a little exasperated, but he was smiling a vague kind of smile that usually meant he was proud of her. "Thank you, Riley." 

"Sorry, not done," she said before continuing, and going back to Maya. "And I know you decided you didn't want to go and boycott because saying girls ask boys to this dance means that we can't ask them out anytime is dumb, but that's not what it means, not anymore! Because things are changing. And. I understand why you don't want to go because of that because I admire and respect your viewpoint but I also really, really want to go and wear that new sparkly dress I got." 

Maya didn't say anything for a moment, and looked away from Riley for a second. For a minute Riley thought she was mad, but that wasn't her mad look. She was right, it had been the hurt look. "I know. It's cool, Riles. You should go with Ranger Rick there and have fun." 

"I want you there too. It won't be the same without you," Riley said. "You make everything more fun, you're my best friend!" 

"I think the ranger's horse is only a two-seater, but thanks for thinking of me," Maya told her, smiling wryly. 

With a suddenness that made all heads turn, Farkle stood up from his desk. He had only seemed to make it that far in his brilliant plan, however, as he then stood there for a moment before a calm demeanor returned to his face. "Then you should go with me," he said gallantly. 

"Farkle -- " Maya started. 

"I know girls are supposed to ask the boys, but. If that was breaking the rules, how about we break the rules that replaced that?" Farkle said."And, I mean, I know you don't like me like me -- not really -- although a man can hope -- it could just be as friends, all of us -- " 

"If I say yes, will you stop talking?" she asked. 

For a moment, that had seemed to shock him into silence. "Yes?" he said. 

"Yes. Okay." That was all Maya said, and whirled back around in her seat. Riley could see her cheeks were going red, despite how cool she was playing it. 

Farkle, for his part, seemed to have been struck speechless. Until, that is, he threw his hands in the air and yelled, "YES!" like he'd just won Kid's Week on Jeopardy. 

Cory looked at his daughter. "You done turning my classroom into the Love Connection now?" he asked. 

"I am," she answered, smiling now at each of her friends. Things were once again right in this girl's world. 


End file.
